Door operating apparatus



Aug. 24, 1954 H. L. MILLER DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 1, 1951 INVENTOR Hamm JV/LER Y ma w wh,

Aug. y24, 1954 Filed NOV. l, 1951 MILLER 2,687,297

DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Wwfw rmnugy Aug. 24, 1954 H. L. MILLER 2,687,297

DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. l, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l 13 FTE-.2l 2/4 21,2 20@ IN VEN TOR. YL/Maw L. /V/L/f/z PatentedV Aug. 24, 1954 DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS Harold L. Miller, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Robot Appliances, Inc., a corporation of Michigan Application November 1, 1951, Serial No. 254,300

2 Claims. j;

This invention relates generally to door operating apparatus and particularly to apparatus for operating overhead type doors.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved overhead door operating apparatus of reduced cost and improved performance and reliability.

Another object of the invention resides in ease of making certain adjustments to mydoor operating apparatus after installation thereof in a building.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a door operating apparatus in which certain of the components thereof are housed within another of the components to obtain la compact apparatus suitable for installation where headroom clearance is limited.

Another object of the invention is to provide an.

improved arrangement for limiting Ytravel of a door by movement of a link or carrierV through a distance corresponding to desired door travel.

Another object of the invention is to provide for door operating apparatus an improved guided link or carrier for guided movement along a guideway or rail to operate the door and control travel thereof.

A further object of the invention resides in the arrangement and cooperation of a power driven cable and guide for a door carrierY in conjunction with a guide rail for the carrier.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my overhead door operating apparatus shown installed in a building to operate a door thereof;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of certain parts of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a'fragmentary plan view of the apparatus, taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus, taken along line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus, taken along line 5 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical view of an electrical control system for my door operating apparatus;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of a modification of the door operating apparatus;

Fig. ,8 is a vertical cross sectional view of the modification, taken along line 8 8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the modication, taken along line 9 9 of Fig. 8;

Fia 101s a fragmentary, horizontal sectional 2 view of the modification, taken along line l0 l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of another modification of my door operating apparatus;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus ofFig. 11;

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are cross sectional views taken respectively along lines l3 |3, lll-I4, and |5 l5 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary top view of the apparatus of Fig. 11.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a fragment of a building having a wall 20 in which a doorway is closed by aV so-called overhead door 22 of a type which is particularly adapted for operation by my door operating apparatus. The door 22 is movable along conventional guide tracks 24 between open and closed positions, and is preferably. counter-` balanced by springs (not shown) or by any other suitable Well known means.

Referring now to the door operating apparatus, this apparatus comprises, in general, individual mountings or brackets 30, 32, a guide rail 34, a power means or electric motor 36, a driven member or reciprocal cable 38, and a link orvdoor carrier 42. The guide rail 34 extends horizontally from the building Wall 20 on the brackets 3|), 32 and supports and guides carrier 42 which is attached to cable 38 and to door 22. The electric motor 35 is disposed at the inner end of the rail 34 and is operatively connected to move cable 38 longitudinally of the rail in one direction to open the door` and in the opposite direction to close the door. Motor 36 is reversible in operation and may be of the two-phase type. The carrier 42 is adapted to be attached to door 22 by a link 44.

Cable 38 is driven by a drive pulley 48 and guided by or travels around a sheave or idler pulley 5D. Pulley 48 is located at the inner end of rail 34 and pulley 50 is mounted on bracket 30 at the other end of the rail or adjacent Wall 20.

Drive pulley 48 is housed within a control def vice casing 52 having as the rear Wall thereof a control panel 5| on the outer side of which motor 35 is mounted by brackets 54. The casing 52 the inner end of guide rail 34; and the drive pulley 48 are al1 mounted on mounting bracket base 56 which is suspended from a joist of the building by a hanger 53. Thus, it will be seen that motor Et, control casing 52, and base 56 constitute a subassembly which as such is readily assembled with rail 3ft at the installation point.

Motor 36 has a pulley Ell on its drive shaft which is connected by a belt G2 tc a larger pulley or drive wheel 64 on a shaft 65 which is journaled in the control device casing 52. Through shaft 65, in casing 52, wheel 64 rotates drive pulley 48 which moves cable 38 to move the carrier 42 along the guide rail 34. The mounting base 56, electric motor 36 and the drive means including wheel 64, shaft 65 and pulley 48 comprise the power plant of the apparatus.

In the interests of low cost door operating apparatus, the guide rail 34 is provided by an I-beam section having an upstanding web 68 and oppositely disposed outturned, guiding flanges 69 along the lower edge of the web. Flanges 63 may be bolted, welded, or be otherwise suitably secured to the rail supporting brackets 30 and 32.

The carrier 42 is U-shaped in cross section having a base 16 and upstanding opposite sides 12, 14. As shown in Fig. 4, the U-shaped carrier 42 straddles the rail 34 such that the carrier base is disposed Ydirectly beneath the rail anges 68 to slide thereagainst and such that the carrier sides extend upwardly on opposite sides of rail web 68. Each of the carrier sides 12, 14 is formed with a pair of bosses 16, 16 and 18, 18' respectively which extend inwardly from the sides of carrier 42 and are spaced lengthwise of the carrier, as may be seen more clearly in Fig. 3. These bosses 16, 16' and 18, 18 are provided on the undersurfaces thereof with recesses which extend lengthwise of the carrier and cooperate with the adjacent upper surface of base plate to provide slideways 19 for loosely receiving the rail iianges 69 to guide carrier 42. Preferably, the carrier sides 12, 14are cast with openings 82 therein in the interests of reduced cost, weight, etc. and for the further purpose to provide clearance for attachment of cable 38 to the carrier 42.

Each of the pulleys 48, 56 has a pair of spaced, cable receiving grooves so as to increase driving friction between the cable and pulleys. In assembling the cable 33 and carrier 42, the cable is threaded through an eye 64 of an adjustable anchor member 86 in carrier boss 16 and the ends of cable 38 are passed around drive pulley 48, through guide apertures 81 in carrier bosses, 18. 18 around guide pulley 58 to the other of the carrier bosses 16' where the ends of the cable are secured to boss 16 by an anchor member 88. Adjustable anchor member 88 extends through a clearance hole in carrier rear boss i8 and has a threaded shank 68 on which adjustment and lock nuts 62 act against an adjusting coil spring 64. Coil spring 64 surrounds the adjustment member shank 98 between boss 16 and the nuts 92 so that by means of the nuts the tension of cable 38 may be readily increased or decreased as may be required.

Mounted on the control device casing 52 is a limit switch 36 which controls operation of motor 36 to limit travel of carrier 42 in accordance with requirements for opening and for closing door 20. The limit switch 66 is actuated by carrier 42 through mechanism which includes a rotatable cam rod 93, operating arms |00 and |02, and cams |04, |06. Cam rod 88 is rotatably mounted on rail 34 and carries the arms |00, |02, -id cams |04 and |03 are carried by the carrier The rod 9B is longitudinally parallel with rail 34 and is supported thereon by spaced bushing members |08, ||8 and by an intermediate V-shaped bracket ||2. Bushing members |88, ||0 and bracket ||2 may be welded or be otherwise suitably secured to the upper edge of the rail web 68, as shown for example, in Figs. 4 and 5.

Rod operating arms |00 and |02 are spaced the required distance apart on shaft 98 and are preferably secured to the rod by easily releasable clamps ||4 so that adjustment of the arm position on rod 98 may be readily made at any time. The arms |06, |02 extend laterally in opposite directions from rod 98 and carry shoes ||5, H6 respectively on the outer ends thereof for engagement by the cams |04, |06 respectively. The shoes ||5, ||6 are elongated lengthwise of rail 34 and have upturned ends to engage and ride up on cam surfaces |84, |86.

A cam |28 (see Fig. 6) is secured on and to shaft 88 and positions between and operates a pair of movable contact arms |22, |24 of limit switch S5. Contact arms |22, |24 are biased to closed position and respectively control separate circuits of the motor. For example, on door opening operation, switch arm |22 is actuated by cam |28 to stop the motor 38 when door 28 reaches the desired open position, and on door closing operation, switch arm |24 is operated by cam |20 to stop motor 38 when the door reaches the desired closed position.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the electric motor 36 i connected by lead wires |26, |28 to main leads |30, |32 which may be the usual 110 volt line. The previously mentioned separate circuits, individually controlled by limit switch arms |22 and |24 are alike and therefore reference is made only to the circuits controlled by contact arm |22, and the corresponding circuits controlled by arm |24 are given primed characters of reference to avoid unnecessary repetitions description.

Limit switch |22 controls the circuit of a motor controlling relay |34 and of a holding relay |36 which are interlocked or have a common relay coil |38 and which control operation of motor 36. A push-button switch |48 initiates energization of relay coil |38 and relay |36 functions to keep the circuit of coil |38 closed after push-button switch |48 is released.

A transformer |42 is provided to reduce the current for the relay coil |38 and comprises the usual primary coil |44 and secondary coil |46. Opposite ends of the transformer primary coil |44 are connected by lead wies |43, |50, respectively, to main lead wires |30, |32. One end of the transformer secondary coil |46 is connected by a lead wire |54 to a contact |52 with which limit switch arm |22 makes Contact, and arm |22 is connected by a lead wire |56 to one end of relay coil |38. The other end of relay coil |38 is connected by a lead wire |58 to one contact of button switch |40 from the other contact of which a lead wire |60 connects to the other end of secondary coil |46 to complete the circuit. Thus, when button switch |40 is pushed, a circuit will be made through the transformer secondary coil |46, closed contacts |52, |22 and relay coil |36 which closes contacts of motor relay |34 and of the holding relay |36 to start motor 36. The contacts of motor relay |34 are connected to the motor 36 by lead wires |62, |64 and the contacts of the holding relay |36 are connected by lead wires |66, |68 respectively to leads |56, |58 to provide a holding circuit. A lead wire |13 connects lead wire |68 and lead wire |58 of the relay holding circuit. When switch button |40 is pushed, the following holding circuit for the relay is effected: From one end of the transformer secondary coil |46, lead wire |54, contact of limit switch arm |22, lead wire |56,

absagen.'

5. relay coil |38, lead wire |14 back to the other .end of the transformer. secondary' coil |46. These controls and electrical units areall mounted on a common control panel lv whichiforms therear wall of and is readily removable from casing 52.

Operation To open door 2 0 by my apparatus, button` switch 140. is pushed which. as mentiened abel/c energizes motor. relay |34 and starts motor 3.6.. M ctor 36 rotates drive pulley 96 causing `cable 38 to move the door attached carrierv 4.2 along guide rail 34 in a direction to Dull door 20 upwardly andv rearwardly in its guide tracks 24. When the dem approaches. the. desired Open position, @am l 06 en Carrier. 4.2 eneaees.- Shoe H6 and raising the shoe rotates cam shaft 98 in a direction such that cam |20 opens the-.contacts of switch 12.2. and allows the contests of: 'Switch '.24 t0 close. The opening of switch |22, of course, breaks the motor relay circuit and stops motor 36 thus stopping further movement of the door 20. Switch |24 is closed by cam |20 so that the circuit of push-button is set for return movement of the door to closed position. That is, upon pressing button |40', the door will be moved to closed position and just prior to reaching said position shoe ||5 will be pivoted by carrier cam |04 and break the circuit of the motor, thus discontinuing further thrust on the door.

Referring now to the modification of Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, this apparatus includes a hollow guide rail |12, a link or carrier |14, and a drive cable |16. A mounting bracket |18 is secured to one end of rail-|12 to mount the rail on a building wall and on bracket |18 is mounted a double grooved idler or guide pulley |80 for cable |16. The other end of the modied apparatus includes a cable drive pulley, motor, and circuits therefor which may be the same as those described in the preferred form of Figs. l to 5 inclusive.

The hollow guide rail |12 is rectangular in cross section having a bottom provided with a guide slot |80 for receiving and guiding the carrier |14. In the top of the hollow guide rail |12 spaced supports or bushing members |82 are provided to support a rotatable cam shaft |84 which is disposed within and extends lengthwise of the rail.

The carrier |14 is made in two bolted together sections comprising, a lower section |86 and an upper section |88, The lower carrier section |86 rides against the bottom surface of rail |12 and the upper section rides against the upper surface of the rail bottom within the rail. 'Io the lower carrier section |86 is connected a door link |90 and to the upper section is connected the trailing side or portion of the cable which I have arranged within the rail to provide a compact apparatus. An upstanding boss |92 on the carrier lower section |86 extends through the rail slot |90 to engage the underside of carrier upper section |88 and the opposed surfaces of the sections are recessed, as shown in Fig. 8, to provide a loose sliding t with the rail.

On the upper surfaces of rail section |88 cams |94 are provided to engage a shoe |96 on an arm |98 which is securely clamped to the rotatable cam shaft |84. It will now be understood that the modication differs from the preferred form in the compact arrangement of having the follow side of cable |16; part of the carrier; the

. 6: cam shaft.; and lassoci'atediparts all housedf. within `thehollow guide rail |12.

In the modifica'tion' ofy Figs. v11 to 16,. inclusive, the door operating apparatusdiijers from the others primarily in theuse of4 a tubular. or4 pipelike guide rai-1 200 on the outside of which slides a tubularcarrier 202. The carrier 202 has depending lugs 204 and 206 to'wh-ich a drive cable 208 is attached by a'xed anchor member 2| 0 to. lug `2 04, and by an adjustable anchormember As in the other mcdmcations, the. upper or follower side of cable 208 Vpasses through the hollow or tubular guide rail 200, but the limit switch` actuators, of which only onev is shown, are mounted .on and externally of guide rail 200: to be actuatedby. cam surfaces 2|4, on opposite ends of the carrier 202.

The modified door operating apparatuses operates inthe same manner as the preferred form of the aptift-ratus..`

From the foregoing description, it will now be appreciated that I have provided improved door operating apparatuses which are inexpensive while at the same time .dependable in performance. I make the door operating apparatuses at a reduction in cost with approved performance by using a pulley driven cable for moving and guiding a carrier along a guide rail under the control of limit switch operating shoes. It will be understood that for heavy loads the cable and pulleys may be replaced by a chain and sprockets. In addition I have provided an improved carrier or link which directs the force, acting to move the door, in a straight'line and which carries shoe operating cams in addition to cooperating with the cable and guide rail to travel in a substantially straight path. Furthermore, I have provided compact door operating apparatus by housing the lead side of the cable, the carrier, and the control actuating mechanism within a hollow guide rail in which the carrier moves. It

will also be understood that I have provided a door operating apparatus in which ar guide rail is supported at its opposite ends by mountings with which rails of different lengths may be used to accommodate doors of different heights. Another feature of my invention resides in the arrangement of the units of the power plant at the drive end of the guide rail which permits interchangeability of the controls and their mounting panel as a unit. In other words, for different types of installations, it is only necessary to assemble the desired control unit, thus effecting a saving in cost by making it possible to use the same motor, support, drive etc. for all installations.

While I have shown and described preferredv and modified forms of my door operating apparatus, it will be understood that the apparatus is subject to many variations and therefore is to be-limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an overhead door operating apparatus, an inverted 1 -beam guide rail having lateral flanges and an upstanding leg, a door carrier member guided on said rail having a base for attachment to a door and movable along the underside of said flanges, oppositely disposed guideways in said carrier member respectively and slidably receiving said flanges, limit switches at one end of said rail, a rod extending longitudinally and mounted on the upper edge of said leg, saidl rod being rotatable to aetuate said limit switches, and cam meanson said carrier member operable to rotate said rod.

2. In a door operating apparatus having a horizontal guide rail and a. flexible drive member movable therealong, a door carrier member for guided movement by and along the rail comprising, a horizontal plate member to engage the underside of the rail and for attachment to the door, a pair of upwardly extending side members secured to said plate and spread apart to straddle the rail, means on one of said side members for attachment of the ilexible drive member, a guide bore in the other of said side members to receive the flexible drive member, and a cam formed on the upper edge of yone of the side members to actuate control means limiting movement of the door carrier.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Connelly Aug. 30, 1927 Number Number Name Date McGee Jan. 10, 1928 Horton Mar. 28, 1933 Blodgett Nov. 7, 1933 Konter July 17, 1934 Tamsitt June 4, 1935 Wile Nov. 17, 1936 McCloud Feb. 9, 1937 Kahliff June 22, 1937 Foster Mar. 26, 1940 Jones Mar. 18, 1941 Tidball Jan. 27, 1942 Cook July 22, 1947 Rehwald Aug. 29, 1950 Riverman Feb. 20, 1951 Sauter Sept. 4, 1951 Curtis Mar. 18, 1952 Curtis Mar. 18, 1952 Morris June 3, 1952 Ritter May 5, 1953 

